Head-mounted illumination devices

ABSTRACT

Illumination devices as include a frame intended to be worn by a user and one or more light sources (e.g., LEDs) positioned by the frame so as to be near a user&#39;s zygomatic bones and oriented to project light in a direction of the user&#39;s view when the illumination device is worn on the wearer&#39;s head. The frame may be shaped to be worn over the user&#39;s ears and behind the user&#39;s head, and may be made of one or more of plastic, metal and/or a metal alloy, carbon fiber, wood, cellulose acetate, natural horn and/or bone, leather, and an epoxy resin. An optional strap may be retractably attached to connect portions of the frame over the wearer&#39;s head. The LEDs may be included in respective panels swivelly mounted to booms of the frame and the panels may further include imaging devices, such as a camera, and/or a projector.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a CONTINUATION of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/664,530, filedMay 23, 2022, which is a CONTINUATION of U.S. application Ser. No.17/301,595, filed Apr. 8, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,339,953, which is aCONTINUATION of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/202,601, filed Nov. 28,2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,002,437, which is a NONPROVISIONAL and claimsthe priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 62/596,046,filed Dec. 7, 2017, and 62/729,048, filed Sep. 10, 2018, each of whichis incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to illumination devices and,more particularly, to such illumination devices as are mounted on aframe intended to be worn on the person of a user, for example, on theuser's head.

BACKGROUND

Head-worn illumination devices find application in a variety of fieldsand activities. Typically, such devices are worn atop a wearer's head,e.g., secured by or to a strap, cradle, or helmet, etc., or may bepositioned on or in spectacle frames, e.g., near the wearer's temples.The benefit of head-worm illumination devices is that they leave thewearer's hands free to perform tasks other than holding the illuminationdevice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments of a head-worn illumination devices are describedherein. In one or more of those embodiments, an illumination deviceincludes a frame having one or more booms configured to position one ormore light sources (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs)) of theillumination device near a wearer's zygomatic bones when theillumination device is worn on the wearer's head, said light sourcesoriented to project light in a direction of the wearer's view. The frameis preferably shaped to be worn over the wearer's ears and behind thewearer's head, and is made of one or more of plastic, metal and/or ametal alloy, carbon fiber, wood, cellulose acetate, natural horn and/orbone, leather, and an epoxy resin. An optional strap may be retractablyattached to connect the booms over the wearer's head.

The LEDs are included in respective panels swivelly mounted to the boomsand may emit light in the visible or other spectrum. One or more of thepanels may further include an imaging device, for example, a camera,and/or a projector oriented to project an image towards the wearer's eyeand/or towards an area the user is staring.

In some instances, the light sources may comprise fiber optic cables,which act as waveguides to optically convey light from an illuminationsource. That source may be local to or remote from the frame.

The frame of the illumination device may be articulated at one or morehinge points. For example, the frame may be articulated at hinge pointson each of the booms. This allows the frame to be comfortably fitted onthe wearer's head and/or folded up. The frame may also include one ormore grip points along its inner surface, which grip points are fittedwith pads for contacting the wearer's skin.

The illumination device may also include audio communications means,e.g., a microphone and/or an earpiece, or bone conduction transducersfor transmission and/or reception of audio signals, and may sometimesinclude a sensor package for monitoring of the wearer's vitalstatistics. The sensor package may include one or more sensor padscommunicably coupled to a processor configured to sample signals fromthe sensor pads periodically and may also include a telemetrytransmitter and an associated antenna.

These and further embodiments of the present invention are discussed inmore detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and notlimitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of a head-mounted illumination deviceconfigured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a front view of the head-mounted illumination device shown inFIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a partial side view of the head-mounted illumination deviceshown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1D is a top view of the head-mounted illumination device shown inFIG. 1A.

FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate aspects of a head-mounted illumination deviceconfigured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention asworn by a user.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate aspects of the hinged articulation of ahead-mounted illumination device configured in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention that allow the head-mountedillumination device to be folded when not in use.

FIG. 4 is a rendering that shows front and back perspective views of ahead-mounted illumination device configured in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention, as well as a side profile of suchan illumination device as worn by a user.

FIG. 5 illustrates additional rear-side profile views of an illuminationdevice such as that shown in FIG. 4 as worn by a user.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a sensor package arrangement foroptional use with the head-mounted illumination device of the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION

Described herein are illumination devices mounted on or in a frameintended to be worn on the person of a user, for example, on the user'shead. Head-mounted illumination devices configured in accordance withembodiments of the present invention are suitable for application in avariety of contexts, including military, law enforcement, health care,and others (e.g., consumer). Unlike helmet-mounted lights, which requirethe user to wear a helmet in order to use them, illumination devicesconfigured in accordance with embodiments of the present invention canbe worn with or without a helmet or other eyewear, communicationdevices, visioning systems, etc. In particular, illumination devicesconfigured in accordance with embodiments of the present inventionprovide directional lighting from the area of the user's zygomaticbones. Placing the light source in this vicinity reduces light-blindingof others when communicating. Additionally, the use of two (left-sideand right-side), independently adjustable light sources allows forillumination of two areas simultaneously, at two separate colorwavelengths if desired.

Illumination devices configured in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention provide a relatively small (in terms of area beingoccupied), augmentative, illumination source that does not interferewith eye protection, loupes, masks, etc. Such illumination devices allowusers to avoid shadowing that occurs within cavities when usingceiling-mounted or other overhead light sources.

In addition to lighting, the frame carrying the present illuminationdevices provides a platform for image and/or video capture and/orprojection devices, for example as may be used with a helmet-worn orother heads-up display. Further, one or more microphones may be providedintegral to or on the frame and/or on a boom associated with the framethat supports the illumination units. Hands-free operation of thepresent illumination devices may be facilitated using a boom microphone,an integral microphone, a chin-worn actuator that can be pressed againstthe wearer's shoulder, or a remote switch that can be activated (e.g.,by voice command or otherwise) when worn under garments, for example asa pendant worn around the neck.

FIGS. 1A-1D and 2A-2C illustrate embodiments of a head-mountedillumination device configured in accordance with the present invention.As shown, individual illumination elements, e.g., light emitting diodes(LEDs) 14, are included on or in a harness 10, which is worn over theears and behind the head, and which may include an optional retractinghead strap 11 connecting the two sides of the harness. At the front ofthe harness are located one or more booms 12 that extend over a portionof the wearer's face, below the eyes, and terminate in the area of thezygomatic bones. Two such booms, one each on the left side and rightside of the wearer's face are shown in the illustrations, however,embodiments of the invention may provide just a single such boom on oneside of the wearer's face, or multiple such booms on each side of thewearer's face. For some specialized applications it may be desirable tohave different numbers of booms on each side of a wearer's face. Thebooms may or may not contact the wearer's face and may include arubberized or other backing to provide a comfortable surface against thewearer's cheek.

Each of the booms 12 terminates with a hinged panel 20. The hingedpanels are swivelly mounted to the booms, e.g., with a piano hinge, butthinge, barrel hinge, butterfly hinge, pivot hinge, spring hinge, orother arrangement, and may be detachable from the boom so as to bereplaceable/reconfigurable. For example, different arrangements ofhinged panels 20 may be adapted to carry different illumination devices,sensors, imaging devices, and/or projection devices. In some examples,hinged panels 20 may be adapted for carrying LEDs that emit light in thevisible spectrum. Other forms of hinged panels 20 may be adapted tocarry LEDs that emit light in other wavelengths, in addition to or inlieu of the LEDs that emit light in the visible spectrum. Still furtherforms of hinged panels 20 may be adapted to carry light detectors and/orimaging devices (e.g., still image and/or video cameras), in addition toor in lieu of the LEDs that emit light in the visible spectrum. Also, asdiscussed below, some hinged panels 20 may be adapted to carry LEDs thatemit light as well as image/video projectors for use with a heads-updisplay or other imaging system. Although the majority of the remainingdiscussion focuses on hinged panels adapted to carry LEDs that emitlight in the visible spectrum, this discussion applies equally to theother forms of hinged panels and associated illumination, projection,and imaging devices described herein. Cabling for the illuminationdevices and other sensors, etc. may be provided by wiring run throughhollow channels within the hinged panels, booms and harness (not shown).In instances where the hinged panels 20 are detachable from the booms12, electrical contacts may be placed on both sides of the hingedpanel-boom junction so as to provide electrical continuity and avoid theneed for separately coupled wirings (although such wired connections maybe used).

In some instances, the illumination may be provided by fiber opticcables terminating (e.g., with or without lens systems) at the hingedpanels, in which case the illumination source may be positioned remotelyfrom the hinged panel, for example worn elsewhere on the person of theuser such as in a shoulder harness or utility belt. This would allow forlarger power sources and illumination sources of significant luminance,while still providing the directional control afforded by the use of theharness and boom system of the present invention. Likewise, imagecapture components, such as imaging systems and storage devices could beworn on a shoulder harness or belt and the information obtained by imagesensors positioned in the hinged panels 20 at the ends of booms 12conveyed to such systems through the use of fiber optic waveguidesrouted through channels in the present headwear.

The illustrated example of the hinged panels 20 at the ends of booms 12are sized so as to provide one or more LEDs (and/or other sensors and/orprojecting elements) approximately below the wearer's eye(s) and facingforward, in the direction the wearer is looking, so that the LEDsilluminate the area of interest to the wearer. The booms 12 are sized soas to position the hinged panels 20 so that they just rest on thewearer's cheeks, preferably over the zygomatic bones, without puttingundue pressure thereon. Accordingly, harnesses 10 may be provided invarious sizes to accommodate head sizes and shapes of different wearers,or they may be adjustable at one or more points to accomplish same. Insome instances, harnesses and booms may be personalized to a wearer bycreating a model, either physical or digital, of the wearer's head andface and fabricating a harness specifically to suit the wearer accordingto the dimensions provided from the model. Modern additive manufacturingprocesses (commonly known as 3D printing) make such customizationseconomically feasible even for consumer applications and customharnesses could readily be produced from images of a wearer's head andface captured using computer-based cameras and transmitted to remoteserver hosting a Web service for purchase of the harness and accessoriestherefor. For example, following instructions provided by the Web-basedservice, a user may capture multiple still images and/or a short videoof his/her head and face. By including an object of known dimensions(e.g., a ruler, a credit card, etc.) within the field of view of thecamera at the approximate position of the user's head as the images arecaptured, a 3D model of the user's head and face can be created at theserver. The user can then be provided with an opportunity to customize aharness to be sized to the dimensions of the model, selecting, forexample, the number of booms, the type and number of hinged panels, withillumination or other accessories, the positions over the ears, etc. atwhich the harness will be worn, and other parameters of theto-be-manufactured harness. Once the customizations are specified, andpayment collected, the harness specification may be dispatched to amanufacturing facility at which the harness is fabricated.

The harness 10 may include one or more hinge points 16, one or more oneach side, about which sections of the harness may articulate so as toallow for a comfortable fit on the wearer. This may be especiallyimportant in harnesses that are not fabricated for personalized fit, soas to allow individual wearers to achieve a comfortable fit. As shown inFIG. 2A, the harness 10 may be worn next to the head, beneath a helmet18. Accordingly, by allowing the harness 16 to articulate in severalplaces, the fit of the harness may be adjusted to accommodate thepresence of the helmet and its associated retention straps, as well asother helmet-worn accessories such as a screen 24 of a head-up display(see FIG. 2C).

The hinge points 16 may be purely friction fit adjustments in which therelative friction between opposing cylindrical ribs is sufficient tokeep the relative orientation of two hinged members constant duringwear. Or, the hinge points may incorporate ratchet fittings that provideinterlocking gear-like rings to assure that the relative positions oftwo members will not change with respect to one another unless arelatively significant force is applied. Other hinged arrangements maybe used at points 16, such as swivel torque hinges, circle rotationalhinges, click and pawl mechanisms, etc. In some cases, the hinge points16 are fitted with O-rings to prevent moisture from intruding.

Referring briefly to FIGS. 3A and 3B, in some embodiments additionalhinge points 56 may be provided along booms 12 to allow the harness 10to be folded into the configuration shown in FIG. 3B, with the boomsfolded inwards towards the rear of the harness. This allows easy storageof the harness while preventing accidental damage to the booms. As shownin FIG. 3A, one or more hinge points 56 may be included along the lengthof each boom, providing multiple points of articulation. The hinges usedat hinge points 56 may be any of piano hinges, butt hinges, barrelhinges, spring hinges, or other arrangements.

Additionally, one or more grip points 58 along the inner surface of eachboom 12 or other parts of harness 10 may be fitted with silicone padsfor contacting the wearer's skin. The pads assist in reducing slippingof the harness when worn, and also distribute pressure over a largersurface area than might otherwise be the case if they were not present.While silicone pads are preferred, pads made of other materials, e.g.,cork, may be used.

Referring back to FIGS. 1A-1D and 2A-2C, one or more LEDs 14 may beincluded in each hinged panel 20 at the end of each boom 12. In additionto the LED(s), the hinged panels 20 may include heads up display (HUD)projection optics 22. As shown in FIG. 2C, the HUD projection optics 22,which are oriented towards the wearer's eye, may be used to projectinformation on a HUD screen 24 disposed in front of the wearer's eye(s).The screen 24 may be secured to helmet 18 on a hinge 26 so that it canbe swiveled out of the wearer's line of sight when not in use, or it mayexist in the form of a screen 60 worn in front of the wearer's eyes in afashion similar to a pair of spectacles (see FIG. 2A). Alternatively,the projector may be oriented away from the user so that images can beprojected onto a surface in front of the user. A power source andtelemetry transmitter (e.g., for HUD data and audio communications) maybe included in the harness 10 and/or a helmet 18 and attached to thevarious illumination and video elements, microphone(s), and earpiece(s)via one or more wire leads within the harness.

FIG. 4 is a rendering that shows front and back perspective views of ahead-mounted illumination device configured in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention, as well as a side profile of suchan illumination device as worn by a user. FIG. 5 illustrates additionalrear-side profile views of such an illumination device as worn by auser.

Returning to FIGS. 1A-1D, the harness 10 may further support one or morecommunication earpieces 28. Together with one or more boom microphones30, which may be supported on one or more booms separate from that usedto carry hinged panels 20 (or, in some embodiments, on the same boom),the earpiece and microphone allow for communications to/from the wearer.The earpiece and microphone may be communicatively connected to atransceiver carried elsewhere on the wearer's person, either using wiredor wireless connections.

In other embodiments, the earpiece 28 and/or microphone 30 may beeliminated, and audio communications facilitated through bone conductionelements. Portions of the harness 10 are in contact with the wearer'shead. Hence, rather than an earpiece, a bone conduction headphone thatdecodes signals from a receiver and converts them to vibrations cantransmit those vibrations directly to the wearer's cochlea. The receiverand bone conduction headphone(s) may be embedded directly in the harness10, or in some cases the receiver may be external to the harness. One ormore bone conduction headphones may be provided. For example, theheadphone(s) may be similar to bone conduction speakers employed byscuba divers and may consist of a piezoelectric flexing disc encased ina molded portion of the harness 10 that contacts the wearer's head justbehind one or both ears. Similarly, a bone conduction microphone may beprovided in lieu of a boom microphone.

In some embodiments, harness 10 may include a sensor package 32 thatallows for monitoring of the wearer's vital statistics. A power sourceand telemetry transmitter (not shown) may be included in harness 10 andattached to the sensor package via one or more wire leads. Thus, evenwith a helmet removed, the sensor package 32 can continue to relayinformation concerning the wearer's vital statistics and other monitoredbiometrics via the telemetry transmitter, because harness 10 remainsattached to the wearer.

The sensor package may include a sensor pad constructed of conductivefabric that contact the wearer at or near the temple. Additional sensorpads may be integrated in the harness 10 or may be included in theretractable strap positioned over the head of the wearer. This wouldallow for additional sensor readings for electrophysiological or othernoninvasive monitoring of the wearer.

The sensor pad(s) and associated electronics may allow for detection ofelectrical signals in the manner described by von Rosenberg, W. et al.,“Smart Helmet: Monitoring Brain, Cardiac and Respiratory Activity,”Conf. Proc. IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Soc. 2015, pp. 1829-32 (2015). Forexample, as shown in FIG. 6 , sensor pad(s) 34 may be attached byelectrical leads to a processor 38, e.g., via associated amplifiers 40,analog-to-digital converters 42, etc., which samples the signals fromthe sensor pads periodically. A record of the sampled signals may bestored locally, e.g., in a suitable writable memory 44 such as a flashmemory, and also may be transmitted to a remote monitoring location viaa telemetry transmitter 48 and an associated antenna. Alternatively, thetelemetry may be transmitted only when the transmitter is activated,e.g., by an on-scene paramedic, or by the wearer him/herself. Uponcommand, any stored samples may be similarly transmitted so that ahistory of the wearer's biometric and vital signs can be analyzed by aphysician or other person at the remote monitoring station, or locallyvia an output port 50.

In some embodiments, the sensor package may also include one or moreaccelerometers 46 which provide inputs to processor 38 concerning rapidaccelerations/decelerations of the wearer's head. Such measurements maybe important when assessing possible traumatic brain injuries, cervicalspinal injuries, and the like.

Although not shown in the various views, a power source for theelectronics is provided and may be housed within the harness 10 orlocated external thereto (e.g., worn on a vest or pack). In some cases,a primary power source may be located external to the harness 10 and asecondary power source provided integral thereto. This would allow theprimary power source to be decoupled from the harness, which would thenrevert to using the secondary power source (e.g., a small battery or thelike), at least temporarily. This would allow for continuous monitoringof the biometric and vital signs and provision of related telemetry.Primary power may later be restored by an attending medic using atransportable power supply. To facilitate this operation, the harnessmay be provided with one or more ports allowing connection of differentforms of power supplies.

Beyond comfort, the present head-worn illumination device offers beamseparation/brightness consistency when closing distance/peering. Forexample, by having separate illumination sources on booms on either sideof a wearer's face, with each being mounted on a pivotable, hingedpanel, a wearer can aim each illumination source independently so as toprovide for combining the illumination of the respective beams at adesired point in front of the wearer (e.g., corresponding to an area ofinterest to the wearer), so as to maximize the provided illumination atthat point. Then, by moving his/her head towards/away from the area ofinterest, the user can provide a form of brightness control over thatarea of illumination. As the user moves his/her head, the beams providedby the illumination sources will separate, thereby adjusting theeffective amount of illumination at the area of interest. In someembodiments, haptic feedback may be used for various indications, e.g.,low battery, etc. Embodiments of the head-worn illumination device mayalso support other components of a head-worn “system” that includesintegrated eyewear components, disposable masks and caps, heads-updisplay, sensors, data capture components, etc.

Illumination devices of the kind described herein, and especially theharness, booms, and hinged panels thereof, may be fashioned from avariety of materials, including but not limited to plastics (e.g.,zylonite), metals and/or metal alloys, carbon fiber, wood, celluloseacetates (including but not limited to nylon), natural horn and/or bone,leather, epoxy resins, and combinations of the foregoing. Fabricationprocesses include, but are not limited to, injection molding, sintering,milling, and die cutting. Alternatively, or in addition, one or moreadditive manufacturing processes, such as extrusion, vatphotopolymerization, powder bed fusion, material jetting, or directenergy jetting, may be used to fashion the illumination device and/orcomponents thereof.

Thus, illumination devices and, more particularly, such illuminationdevices as are mounted on a frame intended to be worn on the person of auser, for example, on the user's head, have been described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wearable headgear system, comprising: a harnessshaped to be worn on a wearer's head; a heads up display (HUD) screenpivotable on said harness to be positioned in the wearer's line of sightwhen in use and to be positioned out of the wearer's line of sight whennot in use; and a boom attached to the harness and supporting a panel,said panel having attached thereto a light source and a camera, saidlight source oriented to project light in a direction of the wearer'sview when the harness is worn on the wearer's head.
 2. The wearableheadgear system of claim 1, wherein the light source includes one ormore light emitting diodes (LEDs).
 3. The wearable headgear system ofclaim 1, further comprising HUD projection optics oriented to projectinformation on the HUD screen.
 4. The wearable headgear system of claim1, further including an audio communication transmitter.
 5. The wearableheadgear system of claim 4, wherein the audio communication transmitterincludes a bone conduction transducer for transmission of audio signals.6. The wearable headgear system of claim 1, wherein the panel ishingeably attached to the boom.
 7. The wearable headgear system of claim2, wherein at least some of the LEDs emit light in non-visiblewavelengths.
 8. The wearable headgear system of claim 2, wherein theLEDs are operable by a hands-free activation switch.
 9. The wearableheadgear system of claim 1, wherein the harness is articulated at one ormore hinge points.
 10. The wearable headgear system of claim 1, whereinthe harness includes one or more grip points along its inner surface andsaid grip points are fitted with pads for contacting the wearer's skin.11. The wearable headgear system of claim 1, wherein the boom isswivelly-mounted to the harness.
 12. The wearable headgear system ofclaim 1, further comprising a sensor package for monitoring the wearer'svital statistics.
 13. The wearable headgear system of claim 12, whereinthe sensor package includes a sensor pad integrated in the harness. 14.The wearable headgear system of claim 1, wherein the light source isoperable by hands-free activation.